If you feel like the ways in which you clean are a little old hat, or you are wondering if there are different ways to do things, to speed up the process and make things easier, then you may well be right! Advances in technology, and reexamining the ways in which people did things in the past are both leading to people doing things differently in the home, and getting great results. If you are wondering about some of the different ways in which you could be cleaning your home, then you are in luck, as there are details of a few of them below!

Steam cleaning is one method of cleaning that is particularly rare in households around Britain. If you were wondering if there is a method for getting your house spotless without using too much chemical cleaner, then this is the method for you. The steam cleaning process uses extremely high temperatures and blasts steam at the surface, using a hand held appliance. The heat and pressure from the steam will break down the adhesive properties of dirt and grease, leaving the surface free for you to wipe down easily. The best thing is that you only need water to use, no more buying expensive and harmful chemical cleaning products! The issue of course is that in the place of cleaning products, you have to use a little more electricity. There may also be issues in terms of the sizes of steam cleaner that you want to get, as floor cleaning units will be too big for surfaces, and vice versa! However, as a way of sanitizing your home without too much effort, nor harmful substances, steam cannot be beaten!

Looking back in history, you will notice that cleaning has been going on for a long time, even before the chemicals that we use to clean today were discovered or invented! Back then, people relied on soap and acidic solutions to clean, and these can be used today! There is very little that cannot be cleaned with soap, whether a bucket of warm water lathered up with liquid soap for the floors, or a little dab of washing up liquid on the sponge as you wipe down the kitchen after use. You don’t really need pricy household cleaning products if you can use soap! Of course, you may need to use a little more elbow grease if you are reducing the harshness of the chemicals in your home, in which case you may want something that is similarly useful, but not too damaging to the environment or your health…

Lemon and vinegar are great examples of this, and they are also fairly cheap and easily available. The acidic properties of both make them excellent for degreasing surfaces, and ridding your house of grime. Lemon will also leave you with a wonderful fresh scent that ensures that the house feels wonderfully clean at all times! Combining these two with products like salt and baking soda will mean that you are perfectly set to get the whole house cleaned without having to buy anything else! The carbonated nature of baking soda, and the abrasive mineral aspect of salt will help tackle the tougher parts of the house with more force than just the vinegar and lemon alone. You will find that there are thousands of recipes online as to how you can utilize these products in different ways for various different jobs.

Steam cleaning whether it’s done by the novice at home or the professional cleaning agency is a great way to clean and freshen up the home.
There are many benefits for using this method of cleaning over conventional methods however, some people just prefer to roll up their sleeves, grab the rubber gloves and get stuck in so, it’s down to personal preference whether or not you feel it is for you!

Here are the main reasons why steam cleaning, is the way to go!
• Steam cleaning is completely natural as you only need water.
• Cost effectiveness comes from not having to keep buying regular cleaning agents.
• No harmful chemicals which are often found in regular cleaning products, means they are the safer way to clean.
• No residue is left on surfaces which can sometimes happen with detergents.
• No harsh chemicals means = no stains on clothing, so you can wear what you want to do it.
• Steam kills most bacteria’s such as e-coli, salmonella and listeria, bonus!
• Steam cleaning is the eco-friendly way to clean your home!
• Forget one off applications, this method keeps going and has multi-purpose uses!

How does it actually clean, if it’s only steam?
Most dirt and grime sticks to surfaces like glue, the steam manages to melt this and then the substance is easily wiped away.
(Unless the core of the problem is melted away, you could be scrubbing or moving around dirt instead of actually removing it!)

How does it work?
Clean water is put into the steam cleaner and the heating element within boils the water to create steam. The steam will disperse from a hose or nozzle and there is usually some kind of cleaning tool provided. This ongoing system will continue to produce steam until the water level drops to below minimum and needs refilling again.

What can I clean with a steam cleaner?
Steam cleaners have multi uses and can be used on almost anything that is water friendly. Cleaning contractors tend to use them for cleaning sofas, upholstery, carpets, windows and wall tiles when hired to clean a home. This could be useful for any landlord or tenant who is moving out and needs to clean the property before handing back the keys.
Other uses include;
Mirrors, curtains, blinds, hearths, painted surfaces, cookers and hobs, bathrooms suites etc.
Or you may use it to remove wrinkles and creases from fabrics, pet hairs, jewellery, car dashboards, barbeques etc.
The list goes on!

Anything else I should know?
If you are considering buying a steam cleaner it’s probably best to know that price varies depending on the type of model you get. Example some heat up within 30 seconds whereas, other could take 30 minutes.
Tool attachments may vary depending on how expensive you go. The cheaper models may have fewer attachments included.
Mobility is another important factor as some are designed to be handled easily and are lightweight whereas others could be heavier to manoeuvre, similar to what professional cleaning companies use.
Think about the size of the model and bare this in mind when considering where you will be going to store the steamer.
Some steamers are pressurised and others non-pressurised, however, we don’t feel there is significant difference between the two because once the handle is released so is the pressure (it’s not a constant flow of pressure) and it will need to be built up again. It’s probably better to go with what you can afford rather than what appears to be better as both are good enough for home cleaning.

A big step towards a healthy lifestyle is choosing eco-friendly cleaning products for your household. By removing toxic detergents from your place you are sure to sleep better, worry less and concentrate easily. If you want to reduce the poisonous burden on the environment and provide yourself and your family with clean and fresh air to breathe inside your home, check out these tips, choose what you need and see the immediate results on your life.
Many people keep hazardous cleaning products in the cupboard under their kitchen sinks. You can read labels stating “danger” and “warning” on most of them, from powdered products to cockroach sprays. It would be a great idea to replace these poisonous supplies with safe ones, made in your home, to ensure cleaner air and safer environment for yourself and your children. Still, if you want to keep at least some of those products, make sure you keep them in a locked cupboard somewhere higher above the ground to prevent accidents from occurring. Always read thoroughly the labels to make sure you use them safely and correctly. Do not pour dangerous materials down the drain or throw them in the garbage cans. They are sure to cause problems in the waste stream. Try choosing biodegradable substitutes for the toxic detergents. Solutions of baking soda, salt, vinegar and/or lemon are not only safe, but sometimes do a better job than ammonia, bleach and other poisonous liquids. They do not damage the skin, eyes and your whole system if swallowed or accidentally spilled and it is highly unlikely that they will increase any allergies. In addition, using them saves you money and time. Moreover, you should avoid using paper towels and use cloth rags (made of old clothes for example). Avoid nonrenewable resources. If your water is hard, use a detergent instead of soap. Do not waste water, preserve it. Avoid mopping when you could use a broom, put a rug at the door to gather dirt to avoid washing the floor frequently. Try not to run it without using it or put a bucket under the tap to collect it for later use. It would be a good idea to keep plants inside, as they are said to reduce air pollution and provide the place with more oxygen. Above all, use your senses to find out when things need to be cleaned and your experience to choose the best cleaning products for each thing.
Make a step towards an eco-friendly home today. Replace your poisonous cleaning products, preserve water and be responsible for the air you breathe. The results will be seen in no time and you will have made a contribution to the whole world.

With the spread of the nature-friendly lifestyle since the middle of the twentieth century, the literature on the topic has grown quite large. There are many aspects of this rediscovered way of living. One of them is cleaning. It is among the most important things, alongside eating, because we cannot live without it. Although we will be unable to cover this huge topic in just one article, we will try to present to you some clever, inexpensive and, above all, harmless to nature and to human beings cleaning techniques. The materials involved in each will be easy-to-get things, available at the local supermarket or grocery store.

Cleaning the house can be very boring and can take ages to be completed. Furthermore, even if you have not realized it, the usage of the most widespread cleaning detergents can cause damage to your health in the long run. So, the first advice towards a more eco-friendly way of living is to get rid of the detergents that you probably keep under your kitchen sink. Now we will give you the recipes for their substitutes.

It is very easy to prepare cleaning solutions and homemade detergents. The most popular ingredient vinegar. It can found literally in every grocery store or supermarket and there are many types of vinegar available on the market. Although they have different tastes, all of them have the same cleaning effect.
Our first tip will be about cleaning glass. There is plenty of glass in the house and there usually are at least several mirrors, which are often touched with bare hands and have nasty fingerprints on them. For the making of a cleaning detergent for the glass you will need nothing more than vinegar and water. Just mix ¼ cup of vinegar with half a liter of water and fill the substance into a spray bottle. Instead of a cotton cloth, use a microfiber cloth that enhances the clean and picks up dust and lint from the mirrors and windows.

The bathroom tiles collect lots of dirt over time and the most dangerous thing about it is that it is unseen and you may not even realize it is there. Again, vinegar will be used for its removal. Mix 1 part of soda, 4 parts of water and 2 parts of vinegar in a pail and, using a mop or a rag, carefully clean the tiles and the joins between them. With regular cleaning of the bathroom you will save yourself the hard time of curing the parasitic fungi, which threaten your feet.

Although harsh cleaners can get the job done, a lot of people do their best to avoid using hazardous chemicals and for a good reason. Much of the commercial cleaning products may cause allergy issues for sensitive individuals and children. There are several ways to go around them, replacing them with other products like vinegar, lemon juice and so forth, however this article will focus on cleaning tips with baking soda in mind:

• It’s a good idea to keep a container of baking soda on hand near the bathtub. Whenever you take a bath you should use the chance to use a bit of the baking soda to clean the walls near your shower. You can keep your space clean and you won’t have to deal with toxic chemicals. You won’t have to clean your bathroom at a separate time, getting yourself wet again if you follow this routine.

• You should avoid the toxicity of bleach by using baking soda to scrub down your sink, toilet and bath tub. You won’t have to deal with corrosive liquids or harsh, choking fumes while you work and the results will be pretty much the same in the end.

• You can sprinkle a ¼ cup of baking soda into the bowl when you flush your toilet once in a while. Give it a good scrub and then flush to rinse it completely. You will have great results without smelly chemicals.

• Baking soda has a great effect in removing mildew buildup on porcelain sinks. It can also remove and cut the grease off your stove, help clean laundry and many other uses not related to cleaning as well.

• There are many uses for baking soda, however most of them can be concentrated in the kitchen. Whenever you spill grease or you have grease splatters on your counters or stoves, you can sprinkle baking soda on top. Let it stand like that for a couple of minutes, then simply brush it off and throw it away without any resulting mess. You can also use baking soda for your kitchen sink, as it is capable of removing any buildups regardless of the material the sink is made of. Use a damp sponge with the soda and you’ll have a chance to wash all that away and down the drain.

• The most important thing to remember about baking soda is that it is very good at absorbing moisture, so you should learn to store it in an airtight container so it will last longer.

• Cleaning stainless steel is very easy with a mix of baking soda and water made into a paste. Just rub it on and it will easily strip the grease away with very little effort involved.

• You can remove unpleasant odors from you home and your carpets by sprinkling some baking soda on it. Leave it like that for about an hour before vacuuming and you will see the results for yourself as all scents get neutralized.

If you are concerned about the planet like you should be then you will want to ensure that you are not contributing to its demise with the way in which you clean. You will find that there are many ways in which cleaning and the products that it uses can be harmful to the environment, so have a look at the following to work out how you can up your game and do your bit for planet earth.

1. Chemical cleaners.
Your cleaning company will be using the cleaning products that you have in the house in most instances, so you need to think about what you buy, and what each chemical cleaner does to the planet. The harmfulness of the chemicals in many household cleaning products can be seen on the rear of the bottles, with scary words like ‘irritant’ and large ‘X’ characters on the labels. You need to ensure that the chemicals that you flush in to the water systems are not harmful. Many of the cleaning products that people regularly use are more harmful for humans than the dust itself, so look into less chemically based cleaning products.

2. Eco cleaners.
Eco-cleaning products will be a great way to reduce the harmful nature of the chemicals you use. They tend to be made up of minerals and plant extracts which have great cleaning qualities whilst also being completely natural, and non-dangerous. The bottles are made from recycled plastic, and can be refilled to prevent plastic going on to the landfill sites that are clogging up landscapes all over the earth. For a slightly stranger solution, you can use lemon, vinegar and baking soda for your domestic cleaning, as these will form extremely effective cleaning solutions which will clean the whole house in an eco friendly way. Your cleaner will think you’re mad when you hand them a jar of vinegar and baking soda, but it will get a drain unblocked in no time! Try leaving vinegar of taps to get rid of limescale, or wiping down a surface with a lemon; it all works!

3. Equipment
How sustainably sourced is your mop? Most cleaning products are made from flimsy plastic, and are extremely bad for cleaning with because they break all the time. In many ways, these cheap options will cost you a lot more than buying more expensive, sturdier items. You will find that wood and metal products like buckets, brushes, mops and dustpans that are produced in Britain can be found, and that means that there has been less carbon dioxide emitted in getting them to you, which prevents further damage to the ozone layer. The production of plastics, combined with the throw-away nature of modern consumerism is resulting in serious damage to the planet, and it needs to be stopped. When whales are being washed up on beaches with guts full of plastic from off shore dumping grounds, you know there is a problem.

4. Attitude.
If you are always thinking about the planet then you are more likely to prevent yourself from doing wasteful or dangerous things. Simply being a little thrifty with the way in which you clean, and using old rags that can be re-washed rather than thrown away for landfill will ensure that you are not further contributing towards the epidemic that is happening. You will need to be sure that you understand the origins of all of the things that you use, and to ensure that your cleaning company are following suit and using the right materials.

Most people in the world are aware of the deteriorating nature of the environment. However, due to the way in which we tend to live our lives, it seems that no one is really that prepared to get on with anything that will get in the way of their day to day, even if it does mean helping to save the planet for future generations. You will find that by changing the way that you do things, you can cut out a lot of the harmful parts of your day to day, and therefore contribute a little towards getting the human race back on track. Unfortunately, it will take millions of people to be doing the same to have a greater impact, but if you don’t start, then who will?

Kicking the traits of lazy human beings into a system of action starts with the home, and cleaning is a great example of a ‘throwaway’ culture where humans refuse to work a little harder than they need to. Taking a look at the ways in which you clean, and the things that you could do to reduce the impact that they have on the environment will give you a great point from which to change the other harmful processes in your life. There are two main aspects to cleaning that make them bad for the planet. One is the matter of ‘throwing away’ things so regularly, and the other is the nature of the materials that you use in cleaning, from plastics to bleaches, and how they affect the planet.

For a start, how regularly do you throw away things that you clean with? Kitchen towels, used up sponges, J-cloths are all part of the regular cleaning utensils that people use to get their homes looking and feeling great. Cleaning is important, but it need not be done in such a wasteful manner. You will find that by reducing the amount that you throw away, the more that you save. Why not use flannels that are washable and reusable, rather than paper towels or sponges that have a three day life span? There is a huge amount of grease and gunk involved in cleaning, so it is no surprise that these cleaning products are chucked, as they cannot be cleaned themselves! If you want to be really resourceful, you could cut up old towels and clothes that would be thrown away, to make a variety of cleaning rags that can be washed in the machine over and over, reducing the production of papers and plastics, and also reducing the amount in landfill sites.

Chemicals are a great strain on the earth. The harmful components of many household cleaners are as much a danger to your body as they are to the delicate eco systems that thrive on the water ways that you flush them in to. The increases in dangerous chemicals in streams can kill off whole food chains, upsetting the balances of life in the animals, fish, birds and insects that live in those areas. The demise of bees is predicted to have devastating effects on the human race, as they provide such an important part of the natural order of the planet, so what else are you killing every time you flush bleach down the toilet? Using more natural products like vinegar, lemon and baking soda can reduce the impact that the chemicals used in your house have on the environment. You will no doubt find that they are just as effective, and a lot cheaper than those in the supermarket as well!

When it comes to cleaning the house, there are the set ways in which everyone seems to get their place sorted. Household cleaners come in various shapes and sizes, but will all contain similar ingredients, and do the same job. If you can break away form these cleaners, then you may well find that you save a lot of money as well as reduce your impact on the environment by reducing the amount of chemicals that you flush into the water table. Essentially, the best way to be cleaning without these chemical cleaners tends to revolve around using natural products that have certain cleaning properties. Lemon and vinegar for instance contain high levels of acid, that eat away at dirt, but tend to be gentle enough to leave most surfaces unharmed. Baking soda is carbonated when wet, which makes the cleaning action more vigorous, adding energy to the chemical reactions involved in breaking down the dirt’s bonds. Cheap cola is also highly acidic and when left for a while can take the rust off of a nail, leaving it shiny, which is great for cleaning, but terrible news for your teeth if you are a cola fan! Have a look through the following tips and tricks that use some outlandish products, and see if there are any that may help you clean in a different way to usual…

In the kitchen, you can replace your surface cleaner with two parts lemon, one part vinegar and dilute if you like. The vinegar and lemon cut through grease, and disinfect surfaces, killing germs on contact. This is a natural and friendly way to get rid of germs that is just as effective as any chemical cleaner.
If you have a lot of limescale clogging up your kettle, then chuck the used up chunks of lemon from other cleaning used into it, and fill the rest up with water so that all of the limescale is covered. Once you have boiled it, leave the solution to do it’s work over night, and you should find that you can rinse the limescale out!
The same technique works for microwaves! If you are tired of scraping about to clean the inside of your microwave, then place a cup full of water and lemon juice in there and cook on high for a minute. The acidic evaporation will degrease the interior walls of the machine, making it really easy to clean!
The bathroom has many areas that are particularly difficult to clean, and one of the worst are the taps! You will find that taping a bag full of vinegar around the tap and leaving it over night will leave your taps easy to wipe clean. They will sparkle extremely easily, as the acid breaks down the limescale, much like the lemon in the kettle!
Baking soda and lemon forms a great cream cleaner for the bath, as does adding vinegar.
Try pouring cola down the toilet and leave it for half an hour before you give it a scrub with a toilet brush and flush it. You should find that it shines up nicely! Use neat vinegar around the surfaces of the toilet as a softer but effective bleach, which will kill the nasty germs about it!
Try pouring vinegar, baking soda and boiling water down a blocked plughole; the fizzy action combined with the acid and heat will shift tough blockages easily!
Baking soda and vinegar with a little lemon on a toothbrush, like toothpaste, will get your bathroom grouting looking great!
Try it today, you will be extremely surprised!

If you want to have a nice, clean home that doesn’t rely on toxic, harsh chemicals to clean, then choosing eco-friendly cleaning products is the first major step toward that goal. Clean air will do a great deal of good around your home, keeping your allergies down (if you have them) and overall allowing you to enjoy a better life. Removing toxins from your home will also have a great benefit to the local environment, so begin with the following tips to get things started:

• Remove toxic cleaning products
The majority of household cleaning products used around our homes are filled with various kinds of poisons you may or may not be aware of. A few examples can be seen in most over cleaners, polishes, wasp spray and bug sprays among other things. Far too many of our household products have warning labels, and all of them for a good reason. No matter how much you may believe they are safe, trace amounts of these poisons still leak into the environment, not to mention what we breathe in after we use them. Children are also vulnerable to such chemicals, as their innate curiosity often drives them toward investigating anything around them. This may lead to some dangerous cases of poisoning. Do yourself a favor and get rid of them, so you will enjoy a toxin-free home.

• Proper disposal of toxins
In many cases the harsh chemicals you flush down the drain simply end up in the soil, eventually finding its way to local water supply and into animals and your drinking water. Despite the rather rigorous cleansing done in water treatment plants, you can never be too sure about clean water. Other ways these chemicals could end up being spread is through fire or even sitting in the local landfill. So how do you rid yourself of these toxins safely? If your community has a recycling center, then you should give them a call and get rid of your chemicals through them in a safe and secure way.

• Replace the toxins with safe products
The first thing you should do is focus on some better, biodegradable replacements for your usual set of cleaning agents. This will help you reduce the overall toxins in your home. Thankfully, you can easily find a whole lot of useful products on the market by companies who focus on safe and biodegradable options for safe and efficient cleaning. They will be a much better decision when you take care of your house chores.

• Use non-toxic home ingredients
In many cases you’ll be able to use things you see around your home at all times to get things done. For example, using baking soda, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, lemon juice and even olive oil can be something that replaces all the toxic cleaning products from your home. Other alternatives include the mostly non-toxic borax, which is a naturally-occurring mineral which kills mold.

• Switching to reusable cleaning materials
First of all, take a close look at all your assorted instruments of cleaning and decide which of them are actually going to last long and consider switching them to something that will. Stick to reusable products that won’t have to be thrown away after several uses.

With green cleaning becoming more and more popular, a lot of people seem to be implementing it into their everyday chores on a regular basis. Thanks to warning labels and some clever pointing out by watchful people around the world we are beginning to move away from the old-fashioned and harsh chemicals and more into the world of cheaper, safer alternatives.

Cleaning is by far extremely important to all of us, as it protects us against household contaminants and other dangerous substances or organisms that may grow or gestate inside our homes. Dust mites, albeit always present are greatly diminished with regular cleaning. Mold spores and mildew can also be a problem if you’re not careful. Using harsh chemicals on the other hand can have some very negative effects over our overall health, such as causing allergies and worse. If we instead use green cleaning products we will not only help the planet, but also help ourselves.

To begin with, cleaning products have a great impact on the occupants of buildings. You can experience issues such as respiratory irritation, eye and skin irritation as well as a number of other issues that may endanger your life. Chemical reactions between different cleaners can seriously endanger your life if you’re not careful, such as bleach and ammonia creating hazardous and choking fumes with long-term damage as a result. If you remove those products from your household you will boost your overall health and promote a safer lifestyle. Regular ventilation of your home would be required in all cases, but doubly so when it comes to dealing with the traditional harsh chemicals used in most households.

Something that has to be noted is that regular and excessive exposure to chemicals on a daily basis can lead to more serious, life-threatening conditions such as cancer or neurological and reproductive disorders. In many cases we ingest, breathe in or have skin contact with such chemicals without even knowing it. They may be present in our food due to cross-contamination

Inhalation is one of the easiest ways for us to saddled in with chemical toxins. In many cases the indoor pollution levels are much worse than those outside due to many factors, such as lack of proper ventilation from a direct outside source as well as using chemicals which never leave our homes. Most people today spend a significant amount of time indoors so they are adversely affected by any issues coming from such sources. That particular poor air quality level may be to other factors, such as ozone, radon and the chemicals in fragrances, aerosol cans and even paint. When these chemicals enter the bloodstream via inhalation, they inevitably affect the body in smaller or bigger ways depending on their concentration.

Skin absorption is also a problem in those cases as it affects the nervous system and the skin in cases such as ammonia, bleach and other dangerous cleaning substances with toxic origins. Green cleaning products aim to improve and avoid such issues altogether, which makes them the ideal figure of our domestic and commercial cleaning efforts.